Save Indian Family

Save Indian Family (SIF) claims to be an umbrella organization for Men's rights movement in India. It was formed in 2005 by the unification of a number of Men's rights organizations across India.[1] It is claimed that the movement has grown to over 100,000 members in past 10 years, consisting mainly of victims of misuse of Dowry law in India. There are over 50 NGOs around the globe as part of this movement and no single NGO can claim SIF as their own. This men's rights movement promotes, associates with formation of various NGOs, which intend to work for Men's welfare and want the word Men/Women replaced by gender equal word like Person and Husband/Wife by Spouse in any Government law/policy[2]

History

It is considered that the first Indian Men Rights movement was started by Ram Prakash Chugh in Delhi in the early 1980s but it took a bigger shape in form of Save Indian Family Movement (SIF) when a number of Men's rights organizations and NGOs came together to voice out their concern against gender biased laws.[3] SIF started promoting and associating itself with more and more non-profit humanitarian organization/NGOs[4] across India to promote gender-equal laws and to stop the misuse of gender-biased laws.[5]

Over 9,000 husbands and their relatives (10 per cent of the total jail population) were languishing in Uttar Pradesh prisons under the provisions of the Act in 2010.[6]

Save Family Foundation,[7] a member NGO under SIF, complained against a Kitply plywood commercial to Advertising Standards Council of India. The ad showed a wife slapping her husband on her wedding day because of a creaking bed. The complaint alleged that the ad promoted violence against men by portraying it as funny. Swarup Sarkar said that violence against women draws strong reactions, but violence against men on public television is ignored.[8]

On 14 August 2014, Sankei News, just before the official visit of the Indian Prime Minister, Mr. Narendra Modi to Japan, carried an article on the misuse of Rape Laws of India and the role of Save Indian Family in helping those who are falsely accused in such cases.[9]

Save Indian Family organised its annual event, 6th National Meet at Hotel Clarks Shiraz, Agra from 14 to 16 August 2014. The event witnessed 40 NGOs and over 140 Activists of Men's Rights in India representing and discussing the issues & steps for the Future.[10] 6th Annual Meet raised the expectations from the Men's Rights Activists as the Work of the complete movement of previous year were discussed and shared in a very informative Video.[11]

31 August 2014, Save Indian Family's article talking about Misuse of Dowry Harassment Law, IPC 498A, was published on all English Editions of Hindustan Times as an 'Analysis' article.[12]

3 April 2015, Save Indian Family's article talking about strong opposition against making IPC 498A as compoundable and to make it bailable or to scrap it, was published in Business Standard."We have already sent our objections to the prime minister," Save Family Foundation (Delhi chapter) president Swarup Sarkar told IANS.[13]

Activity

It was on 12 April 2014, Save Indian Family, stepped into the future when it launched first ever Single Number Helpline in India. "SIF One", named Helpline started with IVR based calls which give options to victims of gender based law's misuse to reach to SIF's counselors anytime. The Helpline, SIF One, is supported by more than 70 counselors, who help victims free of cost and motivate them to fight for Justice. The IVR also gives details of Free Weekly Meetings in main locations where victims can go and meet the counselors. On the same day, Save Indian Family also launched its own free Mobile Application, namely, SIF One App.[14] SIF One App is available for free download on Google Playstore and can be downloaded by any Android user.[15]

The Save Indian Family, a men's rights NGO, launched the first ever helpline for men harassed at home and received 24,000 SOS calls in its first 120 days.[16]

SIF one has received more than 25,000 calls in five months from its launch while APP has witnessed more than 5000 downloads.[17]

After getting a favorable response for the helpline for Men in Distress service in Bangalore, Chandigarh, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kolkata and Mumbai, Save Indian Family's Ahmedabad chapter started the helpline.[18] Bhopal Against Injustice, BHAI, a forum for abused men was launched by Save Indian Family in Bhopal in July, 2014[19]

Highlighting the rise of incidence of married men committing suicide in India, Kumar V. Jahgirdar, President of Child Rights Initiative for Shared Parenting (CRISP) has demanded a National Commission for Men to look into the problems of married men. Swarup Sarkar, Founder Member, Save Family Foundation-Delhi, has asked for a law to check misuse of IPC Section 498(A) and Domestic Violence act.[20] Amit Lakhani, executive member, has been demanding to make Section IPC 498A bailable, with dowry related cases making to over 3000 in 2013.[21] They also claim that due to "gender-biased" laws in India, one married man commits suicide every nine minutes in the country.[22]

Mr. Santhosh Potdar's journey from Belgaum to Delhi for making awareness about misuse of Law will end by massive protest at Jantar Mantar on May 5, 2015, organized by Save Indian Family(SIF) [23]

Purpose and ideology

Promotion of Gender equal laws to promote family harmony: SIF claims that the Protection of Women Against Domestic Violence act, The Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013,Sexual harassment, Rape[24] are gender biased laws. In India, finally Men got great help via SIF One Helpline.[25]

Stop misuse of Family laws in India: SIF says that because IPC section 498A, Dowry prohibition act, IPC section 406 are non-bailable, non-compoundable and cognizable offenses, they are "impacting the fabric of family in India and creating Legal Terrorism"[26] in India.

Formation of Men’s Welfare Ministry and National Commission of MEN[27] An Indian Police Services officer, Amitabh Thakur, filed a writ Petition at Allahabad High Court for creating a men's commission to specifically look after men oriented issues and problems.[28][29]

Critique

Jyotsna Chatterjee of the Joint Women’s Program, said “Some people could have experienced the misuse of the anti-dowry law. But how much more have the women suffered'”[30]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "History of Save Indian Family". Retrieved 5 June 2014.
  2. ↑ "Marriage made in Lok Sabha". Pune Mirror. Retrieved 10 May 2014.
  3. ↑ Sarkar, Swarup. "TEDx". Retrieved 10 May 2014.
  4. ↑ "Helpline to address problems of ‘distressed’ men". The HINDU. 2009-12-17.
  5. ↑ "Now, a 'men-ifesto' for male rights". Business Standard. 2014-01-11.
  6. ↑ "9,000 hubbies in Jail for Dowry". The Siasat Daily.
  7. ↑ "Save Family Foundation (Regd. NGO) Website". Save Family Foundation Website. March 2005. Retrieved 2 September 2014.
  8. ↑ "Men's groups want 'offensive' ad off air". DNA India. 16 September 2008. Retrieved 5 June 2014.
  9. ↑ "Helpline for Men accused of False Rape". Sankei News. 14 August 2014. Retrieved 2 September 2014.
  10. ↑ "Ministry for men's welfare?". Times of India. 17 August 2014. Retrieved 2 September 2014.
  11. ↑ 6th National Meet, Agra. "THE YEAR IT WAS". Retrieved 17 August 2014.
  12. ↑ "Spare a thought for innocent husbands". Hindustan Times. 31 August 2014. Retrieved 2 September 2014.
  13. ↑ "Move to amend anti-dowry harassment law draws flak". Business Standard. 3 April 2015. Retrieved 5 April 2015.
  14. ↑ "SIF One & SIF One Android App". Save Family Foundation Blog. 12 April 2014. Retrieved 6 October 2014.
  15. ↑ "SIF One App on Google Playstore". SIF One App. 12 April 2014. Retrieved 6 October 2014.
  16. ↑ "24,000 SOS calls in its first 120 days". The Telegraph. 29 September 2014. Retrieved 6 October 2014.
  17. ↑ "Chhattisgarh men facing harassment can now use helpline, mobile apps". The Times of India. 5 October 2014. Retrieved 6 October 2014.
  18. ↑ "Men in Distress Helpline". Retrieved 12 June 2014.
  19. ↑ "Bhopal Against Injustice". Times of India. July 20, 2014. Retrieved 26 August 2014.
  20. ↑ "Over One Lakh Suicides in India Every Year". NDTV. July 3, 2014.
  21. ↑ "Tihar overflowing with dowry cases". Daily Mail. July 6, 2014. Retrieved 26 August 2014.
  22. ↑ "Ministry for men’s welfare?". Times Of India. August 17, 2014. Retrieved 26 August 2014.
  23. ↑ "Pedalling for gender neutral marriage laws". Times Of India. August 17, 2014. Retrieved 23 April 2015.
  24. ↑ "Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 2013" (PDF). NIC.in. Retrieved 31 March 2014.
  25. ↑ "Battered husbands in MP press helpline button". Times Of India. Retrieved 29 December 2014.
  26. ↑ "Legal Terrorism". Retrieved 31 March 2014.
  27. ↑ "National Commission of Men". The Hindu. Retrieved 10 May 2014.
  28. ↑ "Petition in Allahabad HC for men’s commission". Times Of India. Sep 3, 2014. Retrieved 5 September 2014.
  29. ↑ "Men's Commission". Retrieved 7 September 2014.
  30. ↑ "Male Violence for women’s law". The Telegraph. Retrieved 26 May 2014.

External links